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2007 Nissan Versa Sedan 1.8 SL Road Test

Analysts currently predict that the price of gasoline in the United States willrise to four bucks a gallon, possibly as early as this summer. It hasn't quite reached that mark, and yet we're starting to feel the heat as prices elevate to uncomfortable yearly highs of more than $3 per gallon. And as millions cringe at the thought of digging deeper into their pockets to fill up their tanks, it's finally time to admit it – the bubble of cheap fuel prices that we've come to enjoy is going to burst. Still, even with prices at four bucks a gallon, Americans have got it easy in comparison to those in Canada, or harder hit still, in Europe. Nevertheless, I still can't figure out if lemonade can be made out of this rather lemony news.

I suppose not all is bad, because the cost of gasoline has resulted in the development of innovative fuel saving technologies

An excellent effort on Nissan's part. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

and very clever vehicles. Today, there's a bigger selection of subcompact cars to choose from than ever before, and not surprisingly to those who read me often, many rate highly in my books. Small cars are light cars, which mean that they're usually good fun to drive. They might not acceleratequickly, but they stop and turn better than most expect, and they're very thrifty to run. Modern small cars are often overlooked, however, because they're small on the outside, even if they're quite large and roomy on the inside, like Nissan's

...wait for the light to shine, and you're good to go. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

new Versa. I reckon it's the first subcompact car that an average family would easily downsize into, given that the EPA says the Versa has the interior room of a midsize model.

Comparatively speaking, the Versa is the giant of the subcompact category. Its exterior dimensions give it a larger footprint on the road than any other competitor in this segment, let alone some compact cars. This might lead you to believe that the Versa's claimed class-leading interior volume has to do with size, but we'll get into that later. If anything, its larger stature gives it a less toy-like

Push these buttons to link your Bluetooth-equipped phone to the Versa's optional handsfree system... (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

look than the doe-eyed Yaris and Fit, though the
single U-shaped swoop that encompasses the headlamps and grille give it a particularly happy appearance. The rest of the Versa is rather ordinary, a standard nondescript hatchback that neither offends nor seeks attention. The five-door is also better proportioned than the new four-door sedan whose trunk exceeds the threshold of blandness. I find that subcompact sedans can't escape looking frumpy, because it's difficult to get the proportions of overall height and tail length correct. This said, it's not a particularly offensive vehicle, I just prefer the way the hatchback

OK, so the Versa has more roll and lean in the corners, but it rides like it's on a cloud of air. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

looks. Of course, there are many that will think otherwise, which is why the Versa sedan exists.

Now that I'm on a personal opinion rant, mind you, I think the only car in the subcompact class I can admit to truly enjoy driving with conviction is the Honda Fit Sport. Its engine is lively, it fizzles and buzzes with enthusiasm. The gearbox is slick, light to the touch with short throws. Suspension? Firm, and a touch rolly, but eager and highly grippy. Steering? Light, but as accurate as a chef's knife. The Versa is none of these things,but I admire it for other reasons, namely the way it takes the annoyance out of my daily drive. The Versa is quiet beyond all subcompact measure, the steering has

There are few hard plastics in the Versa. All are nice and squishy. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

decent albeit artificial heft to it, and it doesn't seem pestered to go around corners too much. But best of all is the ride; it's surprisingly mature, and there's no floating or suspension bottoming which can be chalked up to lots and lots of wheel travel. It's also inherently less choppy than other subcompacts because of its longer wheelbase. So, I guess size does matter.

The downside to being bigger is that the Versa is heavier than its opposition, so wisely Nissan chose to install an acceptably powerful engine. The MR-series four-cylinder that preceded the Versa by decades of venerable service can be found here, in 1.8-liter form. Technical modifications have ensured that time hasn't withered it, the biggestimprovement of which is variable valve timing. It makes 122 horsepower, which is

You'll often grab the seat height lever instead of the parking brake... (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

enough to distance it from the 1.5- and 1.6-liter norms of the subcompact arena. Still, even with the extra ten or fifteen horsepower the Versa is no fireball. Just the same, standard equipment is a six-speed manual, a class first in North America.

There's a sort of unwritten test that a lot of us journalists use to measure how roomy a car is, but it's not scientific and requires no formal training so try it out next time you have a chance. Adjust your seat comfortably, then get out and hop in the back seat and see if you fit. If you drive something small and sporty, pangs of guilt may surface as the realization of whatrear-seat passengers experience hits home. And the Versa? Yao Ming could easily fit in this thing, while those of normal height will fit with leg and knee room to spare. There must be some part of the time-space continuum that Nissan understands

Like the cabin, the trunk is impressively large. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

that the rest of us don't. Everyone else uses the same type of space-saving torsion beam rear suspension, and the overhangs aren't any shorter, so where does all the space come from?

For starters, the engine and transmission that the Versa uses are a slim package, allowing the engineers to reduce the size of the engine bay and shift the firewall forward. Secondly, the Versa's rear bench sits in between the rear wheel arches, which vastly improves leg and knee room. These two little tidbits help Nissan to extract an amazing 80.1-inch length from the gas pedal to the base of the rear bench, which is equal to the floor length of the largest Infiniti, the Q45, out of a 102.4-inch wheelbase. Because of thetorsion beam suspension, Nissan was able to maximize the cargo area of the Versa too. The trunk of the sedan offers 13.8 cubic feet, which is not only very reasonable, but it's just a couple of cubic feet off the size of the Honda Accord. 1.8-liter is bigger, but then again, bigger cars need bigger motors. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) />
Surely, the fact that it's got power and spaciousness as its two main cards means that the Versa comes up short somewhere, and if Nissan's budget-cutting reputation is anything to go on, it's going to be the interior. And of course, you'd be wrong even though Nissan is still being run by Carlos “Le Cost Killer” Ghosn. Nissan gave the Versa a simple interior, but it's one of the nicest in its class. The cabin is cohesive in its design, the large off-black dashboard is broken by amber-backlit buttons of the console and a large, faux brushed aluminum plinth in front of the front passenger. Whether you rest your elbow on the door's armrest, the center console or the window frame, it's greeted by soft and squishy plastic,not the typical hard stuff. The microsuede upholstery, standard on the S model, feels rich to the fingertips, and the colorful, woven cloth of the SL is durable. The finely grained dashboard looks good and passes the knuckle rapping test. In general, I found the build quality to be

The Versa is simple looking; the sedan model is a bit on the frumpy side though. Blame the poor proportions. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

very good with tight panel gaps and a complete absence of any skin-breaking sharp edges. No one's going to mistake this for the Presidential Suite at the Ritz-Carlton, but whatever nickel and diming was done was hidden well, very well.

Unfortunately, the whole setup is wasted on me as the seating position is completely wrong. I sit too high, and because the steering column doesn't telescope I ended up sitting too close to the pedals, which means driving with splayed legs. On top of that, the short console ends right where my knee rests, so my kneecap ended up resting against itrather uncomfortably. Then there are the seats themselves, which are stuffed so fully with memory foam that they look to be bursting at the seams, but provide insufficient support. The active head restraints are mounted too far back unless you sit with perfect upright posture, in which case the car has a sorry lack of lumbar support. On the contrary, the rest of the staff found the seats to be better on average than the standard subcompact class. If the seats and position fit you, you've just about got

Without question, this is the nicest interior in the subcompact class. The materials are excellent and the construction is fine. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

it made. On SL cars, the front driver's seat gains a seat adjustment, with a handle shaped and positioned in such a way that I always grabbed it instead of the parking brake.

For the most part, mind you, the Versa is all things to all people in need of a small car, but I can think of a couple of minor improvements that would really seal the deal for me. Nissan should drop the four-speed auto for good,and give the base S model sedan/hatchback the CVT as an option, even though it probably isn't the most cost-effective route for this vehicle. It would at least further fortify Nissan as having completely phased out the standard automatic transmission on its non-truck and non-SUV vehicle lineup. Another gripe has to do with the equipment levels ... we know that Nissan's hiding more toys up its sleeves. Why does having a simple auxiliary input jack require buying the SL trim? However, and like the Sentra, there are some cool toys which are worth mentioning. Versa's in SL trim can be had with Nissan's Intelligent Key proximity sensing keyfob and keyless engine start and Bluetooth handsfree phone system, both part of the Convenience Package. Anothershortcoming

It's the very spacious Versa, fitted with a trunk. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

is the cargo area. On the hatchback they don't do any acrobatic tricks like the Honda Fit, nor do they slide like the Yaris liftback. And while they fold, they don't fold flat, so there's a hefty ledge that must be overcome. But these are just my quibbles. I'm sure that many of these negatives won't even be considered by some buyers, especially those initially overwhelmed with the little car's many charms.

When I first saw the Versa, I was all too eager to dismiss it as another cheap, tinny transportation appliance, and I'm glad that I came with that negative predisposition because the Versa took me by surprise. Yes, I was amazed at how good it really is in the areas where it needs to be. Nissan's insistence on making the Versa the roomiest and best finished vehicle in its class means that you're less likely to be let down by its average road manners. What matters even more is that it's very attractively priced; as equipped, it's a few hundred bucks less than the Fit, and though it's more than any of the other standard competitors, the Versa has size on its side. I like the value, I like the interior and in general, I like the car as a whole. Hey, if it's good enough for that guy on Heroes, it's more than good enough for me.

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